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Bernstein LR, Mackenzie ACL, Chaffin CL, Lee SJ, Kraemer DC, Merchenthaler I. Gonadotropin elevation is ootoxic to ovulatory oocytes and inhibits oocyte maturation, and activin decoy receptor ActRIIB:Fc therapeutically restores maturation. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2024; 22:52. [PMID: 38711160 PMCID: PMC11071334 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-024-01224-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elevated FSH often occurs in women of advanced maternal age (AMA, age ≥ 35) and in infertility patients undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). There is controversy on whether high endogenous FSH contributes to infertility and whether high exogenous FSH adversely impacts patient pregnancy rates. METHODS The senescence-accelerated mouse-prone-8 (SAMP8) model of female reproductive aging was employed to assess the separate impacts of age and high FSH activity on the percentages (%) of viable and mature ovulated oocytes recovered after gonadotropin treatment. Young and midlife mice were treated with the FSH analog equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) to model both endogenous FSH elevation and exogenous FSH elevation. Previously we showed the activin inhibitor ActRIIB:Fc increases oocyte quality by preventing chromosome and spindle misalignments. Therefore, ActRIIB:Fc treatment was performed in an effort to increase % oocyte viability and % oocyte maturation. RESULTS The high FSH activity of eCG is ootoxic to ovulatory oocytes, with greater decreases in % viable oocytes in midlife than young mice. High FSH activity of eCG potently inhibits oocyte maturation, decreasing the % of mature oocytes to similar degrees in young and midlife mice. ActRIIB:Fc treatment does not prevent eCG ootoxicity, but it restores most oocyte maturation impeded by eCG. CONCLUSIONS FSH ootoxicity to ovulatory oocytes and FSH maturation inhibition pose a paradox given the well-known pro-growth and pro-maturation activities of FSH in the earlier stages of oocyte growth. We propose the FOOT Hypothesis ("FSH OoToxicity Hypothesis), that FSH ootoxicity to ovulatory oocytes comprises a new driver of infertility and low pregnancy success rates in DOR women attempting spontaneous pregnancy and in COS/IUI patients, especially AMA women. We speculate that endogenous FSH elevation also contributes to reduced fecundity in these DOR and COS/IUI patients. Restoration of oocyte maturation by ActRIB:Fc suggests that activin suppresses oocyte maturation in vivo. This contrasts with prior studies showing activin A promotes oocyte maturation in vitro. Improved oocyte maturation with agents that decrease endogenous activin activity with high specificity may have therapeutic benefit for COS/IVF patients, COS/IUI patients, and DOR patients attempting spontaneous pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori R Bernstein
- Pregmama, LLC, Gaithersburg, MD, 20886, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A & M School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Amelia C L Mackenzie
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A & M School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- FHI 360, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Charles L Chaffin
- Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Se-Jin Lee
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Duane C Kraemer
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A & M School of Veterinary Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Istvan Merchenthaler
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
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Vestal KA, Kattamuri C, Koyiloth M, Ongaro L, Howard JA, Deaton AM, Ticau S, Dubey A, Bernard DJ, Thompson TB. Activin E is a transforming growth factor β ligand that signals specifically through activin receptor-like kinase 7. Biochem J 2024; 481:547-564. [PMID: 38533769 PMCID: PMC11088876 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20230404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Activins are one of the three distinct subclasses within the greater Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily. First discovered for their critical roles in reproductive biology, activins have since been shown to alter cellular differentiation and proliferation. At present, members of the activin subclass include activin A (ActA), ActB, ActC, ActE, and the more distant members myostatin and GDF11. While the biological roles and signaling mechanisms of most activins class members have been well-studied, the signaling potential of ActE has remained largely unknown. Here, we characterized the signaling capacity of homodimeric ActE. Molecular modeling of the ligand:receptor complexes showed that ActC and ActE shared high similarity in both the type I and type II receptor binding epitopes. ActE signaled specifically through ALK7, utilized the canonical activin type II receptors, ActRIIA and ActRIIB, and was resistant to the extracellular antagonists follistatin and WFIKKN. In mature murine adipocytes, ActE invoked a SMAD2/3 response via ALK7, like ActC. Collectively, our results establish ActE as a specific signaling ligand which activates the type I receptor, ALK7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie A. Vestal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, U.S.A
| | - Chandramohan Kattamuri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, U.S.A
| | - Muhasin Koyiloth
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, U.S.A
| | - Luisina Ongaro
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Centre for Research in Reproduction and Development, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - James A. Howard
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, U.S.A
| | | | | | - Aditi Dubey
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A
| | - Daniel J. Bernard
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Centre for Research in Reproduction and Development, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thomas B. Thompson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, U.S.A
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Vestal KA, Kattamuri C, Koyiloth M, Ongaro L, Howard JA, Deaton A, Ticau S, Dubey A, Bernard DJ, Thompson TB. Activin E is a TGFβ ligand that signals specifically through activin receptor-like kinase 7. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.25.559288. [PMID: 37808681 PMCID: PMC10557571 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.25.559288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Activins are one of the three distinct subclasses within the greater Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) superfamily. First discovered for their critical roles in reproductive biology, activins have since been shown to alter cellular differentiation and proliferation. At present, members of the activin subclass include activin A (ActA), ActB, ActC, ActE, and the more distant members myostatin and GDF11. While the biological roles and signaling mechanisms of most activins class members have been well-studied, the signaling potential of ActE has remained largely unknown. Here, we characterized the signaling capacity of homodimeric ActE. Molecular modeling of the ligand:receptor complexes showed that ActC and ActE shared high similarity in both the type I and type II receptor binding epitopes. ActE signaled specifically through ALK7, utilized the canonical activin type II receptors, ActRIIA and ActRIIB, and was resistant to the extracellular antagonists follistatin and WFIKKN. In mature murine adipocytes, ActE invoked a SMAD2/3 response via ALK7, similar to ActC. Collectively, our results establish ActE as an ALK7 ligand, thereby providing a link between genetic and in vivo studies of ActE as a regulator of adipose tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie A Vestal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Chandramohan Kattamuri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Muhasin Koyiloth
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Luisina Ongaro
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Centre for Research in Reproduction and Development, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - James A Howard
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | | | | | | | - Daniel J Bernard
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Centre for Research in Reproduction and Development, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thomas B Thompson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
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A versatile Halo- and SNAP-tagged BMP/TGFβ receptor library for quantification of cell surface ligand binding. Commun Biol 2023; 6:34. [PMID: 36635368 PMCID: PMC9837045 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04388-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
TGFβs, BMPs and Activins regulate numerous developmental and homeostatic processes and signal through hetero-tetrameric receptor complexes composed of two types of serine/threonine kinase receptors. Each of the 33 different ligands possesses unique affinities towards specific receptor types. However, the lack of specific tools hampered simultaneous testing of ligand binding towards all BMP/TGFβ receptors. Here we present a N-terminally Halo- and SNAP-tagged TGFβ/BMP receptor library to visualize receptor complexes in dual color. In combination with fluorescently labeled ligands, we established a Ligand Surface Binding Assay (LSBA) for optical quantification of receptor-dependent ligand binding in a cellular context. We highlight that LSBA is generally applicable to test (i) binding of different ligands such as Activin A, TGFβ1 and BMP9, (ii) for mutant screens and (iii) evolutionary comparisons. This experimental set-up opens opportunities for visualizing ligand-receptor binding dynamics, essential to determine signaling specificity and is easily adaptable for other receptor signaling pathways.
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Goebel EJ, Ongaro L, Kappes EC, Vestal K, Belcheva E, Castonguay R, Kumar R, Bernard DJ, Thompson TB. The orphan ligand, activin C, signals through activin receptor-like kinase 7. eLife 2022; 11:78197. [PMID: 35736809 PMCID: PMC9224996 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin ligands are formed from two disulfide-linked inhibin β (Inhβ) subunit chains. They exist as homodimeric proteins, as in the case of activin A (ActA; InhβA/InhβA) or activin C (ActC; InhβC/InhβC), or as heterodimers, as with activin AC (ActAC; InhβA:InhβC). While the biological functions of ActA and activin B (ActB) have been well characterized, little is known about the biological functions of ActC or ActAC. One thought is that the InhβC chain functions to interfere with ActA production by forming less active ActAC heterodimers. Here, we assessed and characterized the signaling capacity of ligands containing the InhβC chain. ActC and ActAC activated SMAD2/3-dependent signaling via the type I receptor, activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7). Relative to ActA and ActB, ActC exhibited lower affinity for the cognate activin type II receptors and was resistant to neutralization by the extracellular antagonist, follistatin. In mature murine adipocytes, which exhibit high ALK7 expression, ActC elicited a SMAD2/3 response similar to ActB, which can also signal via ALK7. Collectively, these results establish that ActC and ActAC are active ligands that exhibit a distinct signaling receptor and antagonist profile compared to other activins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich J Goebel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, United States
| | - Luisina Ongaro
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Centre for Research in Reproduction and Development, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Emily C Kappes
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, United States
| | - Kylie Vestal
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, United States
| | | | | | | | - Daniel J Bernard
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Centre for Research in Reproduction and Development, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Thomas B Thompson
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, United States
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Guo J, Liu B, Thorikay M, Yu M, Li X, Tong Z, Salmon RM, Read RJ, Ten Dijke P, Morrell NW, Li W. Crystal structures of BMPRII extracellular domain in binary and ternary receptor complexes with BMP10. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2395. [PMID: 35504921 PMCID: PMC9064986 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30111-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterozygous mutations in BMPR2 (bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor type II) cause pulmonary arterial hypertension. BMPRII is a receptor for over 15 BMP ligands, but why BMPR2 mutations cause lung-specific pathology is unknown. To elucidate the molecular basis of BMP:BMPRII interactions, we report crystal structures of binary and ternary BMPRII receptor complexes with BMP10, which contain an ensemble of seven different BMP10:BMPRII 1:1 complexes. BMPRII binds BMP10 at the knuckle epitope, with the A-loop and β4 strand making BMPRII-specific interactions. The BMPRII binding surface on BMP10 is dynamic, and the affinity is weaker in the ternary complex than in the binary complex. Hydrophobic core and A-loop interactions are important in BMPRII-mediated signalling. Our data reveal how BMPRII is a low affinity receptor, implying that forming a signalling complex requires high concentrations of BMPRII, hence mutations will impact on tissues with highest BMPR2 expression such as the lung vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxu Guo
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Midory Thorikay
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Minmin Yu
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Zhen Tong
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Richard M Salmon
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Randy J Read
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, The Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas W Morrell
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom.
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Newfeld SJ, O’Connor MB. New aspects of TGF-β superfamily signaling in development and disease (2022 FASEB meeting review). Fac Rev 2022; 11:36. [PMID: 36644295 PMCID: PMC9816873 DOI: 10.12703/r/11-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The 13th Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Summer Research Conference, "TGF-β superfamily signaling in development and disease" was convened at the Grand Hotel in Malahide, Ireland in July 2022. The Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) family of secreted proteins consists of agents of intercellular communication found in all multicellular animals. Attending the meeting was a diverse group of scholars with shared interests in understanding TGF-β signaling mechanisms, normal functions, and the diseases associated with misregulation and mutation. Despite intense study over the previous 35 years, new features of TGF-β activity continue to be discovered. This meeting report offers 21 investigator-provided summaries that illustrate the breadth of the thought-provoking presentations. An emerging theme of the meeting was the power of cross-disciplinary studies, such as one combining immunology, biochemistry, and structural biology, to unravel the secrets of parasitic TGF-β mimics. Please join us at the next meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J Newfeld
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
| | - Michael B O’Connor
- Department of Genetics Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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